The invention relates to an endoscope including a shaft carrying an optical arrangement with optical fibers arranged concentrically around the shaft.
Such endoscopes are used, in particular in the form of athroscopes, to examine and treat acute articular joint spaces, and mainly those of the knee joint. Athroscopy is a preferred and often implemented method to examine meniscus injuries.
Very often endoscopes combined with surgical instruments are not only used to observe but also to illuminate the surgery area. Endoscopes must therefore not only have superb optical parameters but must also possess excellent cold light illumination of high intensity as their distinguishing features.
The crowded construction of the endoscopes known in the art is disadvantageous as it means that only relatively small cross-sections of the optical means and the optical fibers can be chosen, in particular when irrigation channels are combined with the shaft of the endoscope.
Furthermore disadvantageous with the endoscopes known in the art is that the observation and illumination components are fixed together. In the case of the optical means of the endoscope being damaged--which can often occur during surgery--either the whole unit must be replaced or repaired. Such repairs are relatively costly and time-consuming due to the necessary but complicated disassembly involved.
Due to the development trend towards higher performance and more expensive instruments with a narrow specialized field of application the repair work can only be carried out by specialized workshops, so that the repair costs also increase continually. Often the extensive and costly maintenance work can only be carried out by the manufacturers maintenance specialists.